The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 178 June 2023
The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Directors: Janet Bartlam, Judi Bolder, John Clements,
Michael Cockman, Ag MacKeith
Editor
Ag MacKeith
South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk
Advertising Manager
Michael Cockman
50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Tel: 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk
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Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this newsletter,
mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for any errors that
may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not a vehicle of the
parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in a personal capacity.
Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual contributors.
All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.
The Sprout is printed by The Holywell Press, and published by
North Hinksey Parish Publications Ltd, (a company limited by
guarantee) Registration No. 05609535.
The Sprout
Issue 178, June 2023
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
5 School Immunization Service
7 Election Results
9 The Rise of Elms Rise
13 Brownies Get Busy
15 River Swimming
17 Patients Participation Group
19 Taekwondo Celebrations
21 Skatepark Latest
25 Vaping’s not harmless
29 Knit and Natter
31 Planning Apps
33 Randoms
35 General Organisations
From the Editor
Quite a range in this month’s Sprout: there’s local history in ‘The Rise of
Elms Rise (p9) and the exhibition of Oxford’s River Bathing Places
(including Tumbling Bay) (p15). Where health is concerned, we are lucky
to have the hard-working Patients Participation Group, who are keeping us
informed of developments at the medical practice (p17) and if your child
needs a jab, there are details of the School-Aged Immunisation Service on
page 5. Page 25 investigates the downside of vaping. The results of the
recent local elections are on page 7, and there’s an overview of the
response to the planning application for the new skatepark (p21). The most
recent planning apps are on page 31. On other pages, Chris Hall’s
Taekwondo students are winning belts (p19), the Brownies have been
doing coronation-themed activities (p13), and our cover shows the beacon
getting its third outing on 6th May, when Cumnor chose to light it with its
rain cover still on, as can be seen from Caroline Cockman’s photo. It
quickly melted and flew away, as you might imagine (and hopefully was
quickly rescued). The Coronation capers on the field were more low-key
than last year’s Jubilee, but still enjoyable. About 200 people turned out to
socialize with their neighbours, and to squelch up the muddy track to the
beacon. Randoms reminds you this is your last chance to enter Botley in
Bloom, our front garden competition (p34). There have been very few
entries this year, so you have a good chance! A letter on the subject on
page 3, suggests a reason. Could the writer be right? Could the
competition have a different focus? Comments please to
Editor@thesprout.org.uk. Ag MacKeith
Letters to the Editor
Botley in Bloom
I saw your recent announcement of the Botley in Bloom competition. You
seem to have continued with similar categories as previously, namely:
Best Overall, Best Cultivated Wildlife, and Best Use of Vegetables.
Given that we are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis, and since many of
the front gardens in our community are paved (often by previous
homeowners or by current landlords) or otherwise built up to serve a
functional purpose, I would like to ask you to consider a category that
could be phrased around the idea of Best Low Cost or Limited Space.
For instance, in my own house a previous owner paved the front garden
and while we love to install a pop of colour and support the wildlife through
a couple of planters, a bee house, and a green border in front of our front
fence, we are not in a position to "open up" more green space by taking
up the paving. I would imagine that many others who have similarly paved
front gardens or are renting a house where the front garden is fully paved
are in a similar position.
I think it would be a good idea to enthuse folks like us to participate in the
competition and take a bit of time to think how they may be able to support
wildlife or greening their front garden, even if that was in a more modest
way owing to finances or to the existing infrastructure.
I wish that organizing a nice community event such as the Botley in Bloom
competition would be underpinned by a somewhat more thoughtful
reflection of the kinds of front gardens and living situations that exist in
our community. For instance, while a category about vegetables is an
interesting idea and done with the best of intentions, many of those with
front gardens that face a busy road just would not be cultivating
vegetables so close to a constant source of pollution.
But please take this suggestion as nothing more than my two cents! I
really like the competition and in an ideal world I'd love to see every front
garden starting to showcase colour, creativity, and great ideas when the
competition draws closer. I just think in terms of setting the competition
categories with some more thought you could encourage few more folks
to participate this year!
In any case, thanks a lot for considering my suggestion and thanks for
running the competition!
Local resident (name and address supplied)
Sprout’s influence spreads nationwide
I thought you’d like to know that the egg topper [or
Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher], featured in the March issue,
also appeared briefly in a recent episode of BBC1’s cult soap
‘Eastenders’. The gadget was wielded on his breakfast eggs by the
rascally Reiss Colwell, squeeze of the saintly Sonia Fowler.
Grant Nightingale
[Thanks, Grant. We like to be in the swing! Ed]
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Oxfordshire School-Aged
Immunisation Service
The School-Aged Immunisation Service offer the following vaccines
to eligible school aged children aged 5 to 16:
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio (TDP),
Meningitis (ACWY), Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), Flu (seasonal)
If your child is educated at home:
• They can attend a local Community Based Clinic.
• Please contact us (details below) to book into a clinic and to provide
consent.
If your child is in school:
• They will be offered their vaccinations at
school. The school will contact you directly
with details.
Contact us through our web address,
by scanning the QR code or by calling
07920 254400
Or visit www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/imms
How Did They Get On?
Following the elections on 4th May, we now have a new Parish
Council. How did the voting go?
Elected:
Lorna Berrett: 744 votes, Ag MacKeith 731, Chris Church 714,
Lisa Barnes 652, David Kay 623, Nekisa G-B 616, Jamie Spooner 611,
Shazia Keily 582, Alistair Bastin 546, Adam Rankin 540,
Laura Jones 532, Nicola Johnson 509, Martin Dowie 505 and Erica
Davis 502.
Who are your new councillors? Here they
are on the right: Nekisa, Lisa, Erica,
Shazia, Nicola and Jamie.
Not elected:
James Poyser 499, Julie Lesniarek 498,
Chris Hall 492, Julia Hammett 487,
Andrew Pritchard 450, Rod Chalk 428,
George Nicholls 424, John Marriott 402,
Calum Byrom 332, Linda Morrison
Allsopp 286, Matt Scarborough 248, Nick
Wedd 230.
We were voting for our District
Councillors too, and the results were
very clear: Emily Smith 1184 votes,
Debby Hallett 1155.
None of the other candidates got more
than 327 votes.
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The Sprout team sends heartfelt apologies to Matt Scarborough, who
sent in his photo and few words in good time for last month’s Sprout, but,
unfortunately, they got overlooked in the rush to print.
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Also worth noting – the council has changed its name to Botley and North
Hinksey Parish Council (BNHPC). New email and website addresses are
still being put into place.
The Rise of Elms Rise
The building of houses on Elms Rise began shortly after the opening of
the Southern Bypass (now part of the A34) from South Hinksey to Botley
in 1932. Oxford was a fast-growing city, boosted by the motor industry in
Cowley, and regular bus services as well as expanding car ownership
encouraged people to live outside the city boundary. House builders took
advantage of cheaper land in places like Kidlington, Wootton and Botley
to supply modern houses that were affordable, at least to those with
regular incomes.
The Southern Bypass provided Elms Farm with a new road on its eastern
boundary. Stephen Howse, the owner of Elms Farm on what is now West
Way, was quick to appreciate the potential development value of his
farmland. A layout plan for the estate was prepared, presumably by a
local architect, which included what were to become Arthray and Montagu
Roads, Finmore and Crabtree Roads, St Paul’s Crescent and the cul-de-
sacs that we know as Hawthorn Close, Maple Close, Cope Close, The
Garth and Stanley Close. No shops or commercial buildings were to be
allowed on the purely residential estate as Howse sought to channel
customers and businesses towards his Elms Parade shopping centre,
opened in 1937.
Elms Rise was built by several different firms, each of which acquired a
portion of the estate and erected houses there following the overall layout
plan. The Southern Bypass frontage, now Westminster Way, was most
attractive to builders because there were no road making costs. Two
Coventry firms, Bayliss Bros, and Stanley & Co, were building three
bedroomed semi-detached houses there by May 1934, and these were
subsequently advertised for sale at £895, offering uninterrupted views of
the Oxford spires. This development extended into the future Montagu
Road where a London firm, Freehold Homes, acquired the land to build
Elms Garth, now The Garth, in 1936. The tile-hung and half-timbered
houses built here cost £785 and they were stylistically quite different from
the Art Deco inspired properties in Westminster Way with their jazzy
glazed doors and windows.
Behind Elms Farm, R Gardner & Son appear to have been responsible
for building houses at the eastern end of Arthray Road, named after
Howse’s son, Arthur Raymond, and on the east side of St Paul’s
Crescent. Further along Arthray Road and up on to Elms Rise as we know
it, Frederick Minns & Co, Ltd, builders then based in St Aldate’s, built on
a larger scale, claiming to have sold over 100 houses on the estate by
March 1938.
Their semi-
detached houses
had round-ended
metal Crittall
windows, some
with rising sun
glazing in upper
panels. Most of
these windows
have been
replaced and very
few of the original
crenellated front garden walls with wooden posts and chains now remain.
Minns’ Elms Rise houses were on sale for £575 in 1938 and, with the
growing threat of war, you could have an air raid shelter in your garden
‘at a price to suit your pocket.’
It took several years for these various
developments to coalesce into a
single estate. Kelly’s Oxford Directory
for 1936 notes only named houses on
the Elms Farm Estate, the modern
Westminster Way. By 1939, the
directory records a confusion of
numbered and named houses on
Elms Farm, Elms Garth and Elms
Rise as well as individual properties
in Arthray Road and The Crescent.
House-building came to an abrupt
halt when war broke out in September
1939, and Abingdon Rural District
Council was able to regularise
naming and numbering the streets on
Elms Rise.
Malcolm Graham
Photos show: New houses in Cope Close, March 1938.
Advertisement for Minns’ houses on Elms Rise, March 1938.
(Illustrations © Oxfordshire History Centre, Oxfordshire County Council)
Brownies Get Busy
Following on with our official Girlguiding programme for the year we next
attempted the Made to Measure section of the Innovate Stage 2 Skills-
Builder Badge. Each Brownie was given a piece of paper, half a washing
up sponge, a cocktail stick and some sticky tape. Using only the
equipment provided each girl had to design and then build her own small
boat which was able to glide along on top of the table. Once all the boats
were designed and built each Six was then given a tape measure and
had to record how far each of their boats had travelled. They were then
encouraged to tweak their design to see if they could improve on their
boat’s performance. Each
girl was allowed three
attempts on three different
designs. The mean
average distance was then
taken from each design to
which one had performed
the best. However, one
Six came to the conclusion
that a lot of the winning
boats seemed to have a
girl with a good amount of puff to blow it further than anyone else, no
matter the design!
The following week we tackled another of our official Unit Meeting
Activities (UMA) to each make a pop-up card. As it was the week before
the Coronation, Tawny Owl decided her activity would not
be just any old pop-up card but one a bit more regal. So,
after much concentration and incredibly careful cutting out
and sticking down a “Pop-up Crown on the Royal Cushion”
was created by each girl. We even had time to learn how
keyrings are filled and everyone then made a keepsake
memento of the day in the form of a 2nd Botley Brownie
Unit personalised keyring commemorating the date of the
first Coronation for 70 years.
After a few meetings with so much designing and crafting
we decided we needed a meeting consisting of just fun running-around
games to let off some steam. Unlike the military personnel on parade that
we had seen during the Coronation, we had to use rubber floor-spot
markers to make a perfect grid for the girls to stand on so that we could
play Cat & Mouse. We then played ‘All the Fishes in the Sea’ followed by
a game of Fruit Basket. As usual, we swiftly put all the chairs correctly
away and still had time for a song before the meeting ended. The girls we
have in our Unit at 2nd Botley Brownies are a credit to their families –
they are polite, welcoming, capable and just fun to be around! And since
our last month’s article we have had two new joiners – so don’t be shy
and give us a try! (Goodness, we seem to be poets too!).
Brown Owl
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River Swimming in Oxford
Locals who have enjoyed swimming at Tumbling Bay over the years may
be interested in a new exhibition at beautifully refurbished Oxford City
Museum in St Aldates. "Dive In! A History of River Swimming in Oxford"
is a new exhibition running until the 30th of September. The Museum is
free to enter with donations encouraged, and is open Monday to
Saturday, 10am to 5pm.
Exploring the vibrant history of Wolvercote bathing place, Tumbling Bay,
Long Bridges, Dame's Delight and more, the display presents
photographs, newspaper cuttings, maps and artwork relating to a period
from the 1600s to the early
1990s, when the last of the
official bathing places was
officially closed.
Volunteers are also now being
recruited: if you have memories
of Tumbling Bay (for instance)
and would be happy to tell your
stories to a trained oral historian;
or if you would like to take free
oral history training and conduct
one of our interviews yourself, get in touch for more details at
oxfordbathingplaces@gmail.com.
The picture shows the ferry that took children from Jericho to Tum for
swimming lessons. It was the only access for years. The concrete dock
(right corner) is still there on the river bank, but the willow trees opposite,
where the tidy hedge is in the photo, are a long way in the future.
Patients Participation Group Report
These questions have been submitted by our seventy PPG members to
those making the appointment of the new doctors to run Botley Medical
Centre and Kennington Health Centre. They set out aspirations and
concerns that we would like the new doctors to take note of and address.
They may not all be answered.
1. Will patients each have a named doctor?
2. Will patients be able to make appointments for a doctor a day or two
in advance?
3. How many doctors will be present at each surgery?
4. Will surgeries be open full time?
5. Will each of the two current surgeries be available for the new GP
Practices to operate from?
6. Will patients be triaged first before being referred to a doctor?
7. Will patients be contacted by a doctor or other clinician when they are
discharged from a hospital appointment?
8. How do the incoming providers intend to manage the practice? Will it
be left for the Practice Manager to run day-to-day?
9. What systems will be put into practice which are proven to work?
10. Will the potential providers be made aware of the demographics of
the catchment areas and will they have experience of similar
demographics?
11. What procedures with they put in place to liaise properly and instil a
more open and understanding attitude towards patients?
12. What procedures will they put in place to ensure staff are properly
trained?
13. What are the staff turnover levels where they currently operate?
14. What procedures will ensure there is continuity of care for patients?
15. What are your experiences of working with your Patient Participation
Group?
16. Will Receptions be open full time and will patients be encouraged to
attend Reception to make appointments?
17. What procedures will avoid patients having to ring at 8am and wait
in a queue to speak to a doctor?
18. A lot of patients want to be able to receive care locally and not have
to travel to a surgery. How can this be ensured?
19. Is there a plan for a situation in which contracts are sought for only
one of the two surgeries?
20. The PPG would like to draw attention to the delivery services of local
pharmacies, especially for repeat prescriptions.
21. How many doctors are proposed for each surgery to ensure a safe
and proper service is available?
22. How will the providers ensure that services never again get to where
we find them today, as this situation has been years in the making?
The following questions have also been submitted relating more to
the existing arrangements.
23. How are partners and current staff managing their workload and
stress levels?
24. How will the Berks, Oxon and Bucks Integrated Care Board ensure
that services are provided at a safe level between now and
September?
25. The current prescription form says Botley Medical centre practice
telephone number will change on 1 September (year not specified)
to a number which has been in use for over 2 years. As well as being
irritating, this may also cause confusion for some people. Can this be
amended please?
Please note, the current complement of doctors is
Dr Ballestero – Partner. Dr McEwan – Partner
Dr Chapela – Salaried. Two days a week in Botley
Dr Martinez – Locum based in Kennington
Doctors can also be contacted online via Livi and Medloop.
To join our PPG please contact the secretary on csugden@ocrpl.org or
07808 297043 Chris Sugden
Reason to Celebrate
West Oxford Taekwondo students have reason to celebrate as three of
their own recently achieved significant grading milestones. Fraser,
Dougie, and Pablo all demonstrated their dedication and commitment to
the martial art by passing their respective tests with flying colours.
Fraser, a determined and focused student, achieved
his Red Tag (3rd Kup), which means he is now only
two gradings away from being able to take his
coveted Black Belt (first photo). This is a significant
achievement and a testament to Fraser's hard work
and determination.
Dougie, on the other hand (second photo), achieved
his Green Belt (6th Kup), which marks the beginning
of his journey towards becoming a senior coloured
belt. Dougie has shown tremendous improvement in
his technique and discipline, and his achievement is
a reflection of his commitment to the art.
Pablo has just gained his Yellow Tag (9th Kup). This
is the first step in a long and rewarding journey in
Taekwondo. Pablo has demonstrated incredible
resilience and a passion for the art, and we can
expect great things from him in the future (third
photo).
These achievements are a
testament to the hard work,
dedication, and commitment
of the West Oxford
Taekwondo students. They
have demonstrated that
success is achievable with
discipline, focus, and
perseverance. As their
journey continues, we can only expect more
success and greater achievements from these
dedicated students. Congratulations to Fraser,
Dougie, and Pablo on their fantastic achievement,
and we wish them all the best in their Taekwondo
journey.
Chris Hall
Skatepark Latest
I have just carried out a quick survey of the online
responses to the Skatepark planning application,
now the consultation period is over. Well, it wasn’t
very quick! There are 96 responses!
Of these, 68 were enthusiastic, positive and
supportive. Most were from parents of young
children and teenagers. Some were from skaters,
some were from former skaters who are now the
parents of young children, and a few were names I recognized from the
heady days of the first skatepark campaign, when they were eager
teenagers themselves. The general sense was that skateparks are
always controversial, but a welcome opportunity for children to get away
from screens into the fresh air, growing their self-confidence as they
acquire skill and balance, and giving them a place to socialize that is sadly
lacking locally.
Some four comments were supportive with reservations, and the
reservations were sometimes based on misunderstandings. For instance,
the fact that the contractors’ visualization doesn’t show any trees behind
the site doesn’t mean they will be cut down! They won’t. And there are no
plans for floodlights, so owls and night creatures won’t be alarmed.
Some 22 comments were negative, many for reasons that would be good
ones if they were based on fact. No one in their right mind would want to
concrete over our only playing field – and this is not what is proposed.
The planned skate park is tucked away in the corner behind the zip wire
and trampoline. It will not displace the trim trail. It will not interfere with
the wildlife corridor down the side of the field. Run-off will be filtered and
directed away from the fen. Nor will it be expensive to maintain: the
contractors have sent a detailed maintenance regime, which will be
reinforced by weekly visits from our groundsman to remove litter and
keep an eye on any graffiti. As to noise, the skatepark will be no nearer
to houses than the earlier bowl, so this should not be a problem.
Concerns were raised about toilets – the new pavilion will have outside
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shout out from the Library
Botley Library has a team of volunteers happy to drop books off to
people who find it hard to get out, and with time to stay for a chat if
wanted. So, if this would suit you, phone them on (01865) 810259
.
access to toilets that kids can use. As for the costs – grants exist for the
provision of facilities to get children outside and active, and it is hoped to
raise money from these, although if anyone knows of a likely source of
funding please do get in touch with the PC (details below).
Assuming the planning application gets the go ahead, various things will
start to happen. The first will be a pop-up café on a Sunday afternoon at
the playing fields to celebrate moving on to the next stage. We are hoping
the winners of Matthew Arnold’s Battle of the Bands will play for us.
Then the fundraising will start in earnest. If you can help with that, please
get in touch with the parish council skatepark working group on
northhinksey-pc.gov.uk – but be warned, the PC is shortly to change its
name to botleynorthhinksey-pc.gov.uk so if one doesn’t work, try the
other.
Once we’ve got the money, we can start to build, but probably not till next
year. When the park is completed, Canvas Spaces, who have built very
many skateparks, are planning a Gala Opening Event with professional
skaters, competitions, prizes and some training sessions for would-be
skaters. We’re all looking forward to this very much – hopefully it will be
in place in good time for the 2024 summer holidays.
Ag MacKeith
Completely Wasted
The cigarette packets have gone! The streets are free of those shiny
packets with distressing images of cancer and diseased lungs on the
outside. The world is a cleaner safer place – not! Quite the reverse!
What we have instead is the detritus of vapes. Elf Bar, Crystal Bar, Lost
Mary, SKE, Vuse Go. All in fruity flavours. Every street and every gutter
in Botley, in Oxford city centre, and throughout the world, is littered daily
with the cardboard packaging, the used plastic or metal tubes and
batteries of vape addiction.
They look so yummy and smell so delicious that they could not possibly
be harmful. Could they? The names on the discarded packaging were
intriguing and I had to look them up. One brand offered me 40 different
flavours from cotton candy ice through blue razz lemonade to bubblegum
watermelon. Just the sort of product labelling that I would expect to see
on a packet of sweets created to appeal to children. Because that is
exactly what they are. Not a product designed to appeal to a hardened,
40-a-day smoker, but to an underage non-smoker. Brilliant thinking by a
tobacco executive who has been tasked with regaining the profits lost
through a decline in cigarette smoking.
The UK now has a serious nicotine addiction problem in individuals who
are officially too young to buy cigarettes. We have only just woken up to
the ease with which teenagers can buy them from stores without any
mandatory age checks. Australia has grasped the problem and is already
moving to ban vapes. Meanwhile, the British government is planning to
give away free vapes “to reach those who are finding it too difficult to give
up smoking”. Allegedly.
So, what is in a vape? The ELF bar brand is an acronym for “e-liquid
flavour stick’’. (I can’t believe that the name ‘Elf’ was chosen by chance:
it sounds like a character from a children’s story.) The e-liquid contains
“high quality nicotine, vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol’’ and is
contained in a pre-soaked cotton wick. A battery converts it into a cloud
of nicotine and flavour which is inhaled into the lungs. One Elf Bar
contains 20mg of nicotine which is the equivalent of 48 cigarettes. All built
into a “convenient, pocket-friendly body’’, in bright, attractive, rainbow
colours. This packaging, it is true, does say that the product “contains
nicotine which is a highly addictive substance’’. Along with a skull and
crossbones and a DANGER sign. It also says “DISPOSABLE’’. It is hard
to know what disposable means, exactly, other than you can throw it
away like a cigarette butt. Disposable in the sense that wet-wipes are
disposable and currently causing serious problems when sewage
companies flush them out into rivers. Disposable in that vape
paraphernalia are now a major component of plastic debris on British
beaches. No doubt being swallowed by coastal birds and marine life even
as we speak.
Last month, I picked up a squashed vape tube. which was showing a
flashing blue light in the exposed wires. I put it in the nearest bin. Not
recommended apparently, as they can ignite and start fires. House fires
have already been caused by the rechargeable ones left unattended.
So not really disposable at all. Certainly not by throwing them in the street.
Or on the beach. A recent report referred to smoking substitutes as a
“quadruple threat”. Not only are they a fire risk, they generate much more
waste than cigarettes. The waste is considered hazardous because of
the toxic chemicals it contains. Binning 3 million vapes a week in the UK
creates a huge amount of non-biodegradable plastic waste that will
mostly end up in landfill. The fourth threat is the loss of valuable metals,
lithium, aluminium, copper and steel, from the batteries and electrical
material, which are not entering the recycling stream.
Around 90% of vape producers are failing to adhere to their legal
obligations to prevent waste. As yet there have been no prosecutions.
So…. not the benign anti-smoking companies they would like to be seen
as. Drug pushers wilfully harming children and distributors of hazardous
waste. Nice. Linda Losito
Meet Diana Bollard and the
Knit and Natter Club
The Knit and Natter group’s weekly
meetings start with “What are we
knitting today, Diana?” It could be
tiny hats, adult mittens, stuffed
animals, blankets…
The group started in 2017 in an
Abingdon care home, as a fun
activity for residents. Local people
are also invited. Initially the group
was small, and focused on knitting
sets of hats, blankets and two
bonding squares for babies with
Trisomy (a genetic mutation) for a hospital in Milton Keynes. Bonding
squares are 5-inch knitted squares: the baby wears one and the mother
wears one, and they get traded regularly, so that mother and baby bond
through smell even if they can’t be together.
Everything shut down during Covid, but when the group met again in June
2021, Diana Bollard became the organiser, and they have done amazing
things since then.
‘We knit traffic light sets for the babies in incubators for South Hallamshire
Hospital in Sheffield and the Calderdale Birthing Centre in Halifax,’ says
Diana. ‘The babies in critical condition get red hats and red blankets that
are draped loosely over them – that is all they wear in the incubators.
When they start getting better, they wear yellow hats and blankets, and
when they are ready to go home they get a green hat and blanket.’
‘We’re constantly getting requests from the JR’s baby ICU unit, stating
what is needed and colour. And for the Royal Free and Barnet Hospitals
we knit orange hats for babies that need regular observation. Each
hospital is getting 100 hats.’ (100!!!)
‘For the Nasio Trust in Kenya, we knit hat and pull-on-top sets in the
brightest colours we can find. These are for babies born to mothers with
AIDS. We can’t have any white in the sets because that is the colour of
death over there. They go into a larger parcel that also includes toiletries
and undies for the mother. Sometimes these sets are called ‘fish and
chips’ sets because the alternative might be that the baby gets carried
home in newspaper to keep it warm. We also knit red jumpers for children
going to nursery there.’
The Knit and Natter team also knit adult hats, gloves and small blankets
which the Botley Bikers deliver to people experiencing homelessness in
Oxford. The blankets are particularly appreciated: they cover the legs of
people in wheelchairs, keep dogs cosy, and provide colour and warmth
to people who have very little. The team also knit blankets for babies with
hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). They are hoping to start knitting trauma
teddies that children in ambulances or on hospital wards can cuddle.
Less cheerfully, they knit bereavement blankets for the babies that don’t
make it.
The knitters meet every week in the winter and every fortnight in the
summer. They currently range in age from mid-60s to 99. Diana buys
the wool in bulk, and the knitters buy it from her at cost price. They all
chip in for the cellophane wrappers – since Covid, every article is
individually wrapped and labelled with a date and the knitter’s name.
About 20 people come to each meeting, but many of them also knit during
the rest of the week.
‘It’s a social time for us, and we are doing something good for others,’
says Diana. ‘It’s really nice when people thank us for what we have done.’
She shows me a big pile of thank-you cards, as well as a list of almost
1000 items that those amazing women have knitted. I am in awe.
Riki Therivel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P23/V0882/HH
22 North Hinksey Lane. Erection of
greenhouse.
13 April
TDD: 8 June
P23/V0896/FUL
Land at 31 West Way. Demolish
existing building & erect two office
buildings. (This is the former Baptist
Chapel on West Way)
18 April
Target Decision
Date: 18 July
P23/V0923/HH
33 North Hinksey Lane. Side
entrance porch & rear garden studio.
19 April
TDD: 14 June
P23/V0914/LDP
11 Montagu Rd. Single storey side
extension.
21 April
TDD: 16 June
P23/V0989/HH
94 Westminster Way. First-floor side
& part first-floor rear extension.
4 May
TDD: 29 June
P23/V0952/HH
40 Hurst Rise Rd. Single storey side
& rear extensions & loft conversion.
9 May
TDD: 4 July
Randoms
Botley W.I.
Botley WI gathered on Tuesday for our own celebration of the coronation.
Cakes, fizz and shortbread were enjoyed with a coronation quiz.
Our June speaker will be Janine Kilroe telling us about ‘Seven Years
Inside’. Also in June, we are holding a race night where we will be
sporting our Ascot hats. Please come on the 17th June from 7pm.
Entrance is £5 and bring change for a small bet. Good fun is always had
by all. Phone 01865 722998 to secure tickets.
On the second Saturday of each month, WI will be holding a stall at the
Seacourt Bridge pub. It opens at 10.30 and there is always a variety of
homemade items to purchase, including bags, summer bunting, cards,
and cushions as well as many home-knitted goods, clothing and toys.
Your support will be much appreciated.
Bess Harris
IT help needed
Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South & Vale are looking for volunteers
to help with IT in all of their sites: Abingdon, Didcot, Henley, Thame.
They need people with 7 hours a week to spare to act as first point of
contact for staff and volunteers needing IT technical support.
Main duties and responsibilities may include:
• Diagnosing and troubleshooting software and hardware issues
• Installing and configuring computer hardware, software, systems,
networks, printers and scanners
• Testing new hardware and software before full-scale installation
• Responding in a timely manner to service issues and requests
• Attending team meetings and additional training as required.
If this sounds like something you could do, please email their
recruitment team at recruitment@citizensadviceosav.org.uk giving your
contact details and saying where you’d be able to work.
ffennell Festival
This year’s ffennell Festival will be on Saturday June 10th between 11am
and 4pm during Great Big Green Week. There will be bushcraft, willow
weaving, pond dipping, sail training, forest tots, story-telling, live music,
bbq and much, much more. Costs £5 adults and £2 children, and booking
is essential.
Opera for kids
Oxford Opera are holding a series of opera workshops for ages 10-14
and 15-18 in Oxford city over the summer. These are the only operatic
workshops currently available in Oxfordshire, so they offer something
truly unique to children and young people in the area. There are four full
bursaries for each workshop, on a first-come-first-served basis.
These are the operas:
25 June : Carmen in a day for 10 – 14s
22 July : Make your own opera in a day for 10 – 14s
12 August : Hansel and Gretel in a day for 10 - 14s
20 August : Pirates of Penzance in a day for 15-18s
There’s more about Oxford Opera on https://oxfordopera.uk/education/
To find out more about the workshops, phone Katie on 07901 764582 or
email her at education@oxfordopera.uk
Botley in Bloom
Last call! Send in your entries by 5th June. Judging in week beginning
12th June. Results announced on Monday 19th.
Enjoy a visit to local gardens and support health charities
On Sunday 11th June between 2.00pm and 5.00pm five local gardens
will be open to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme. A
single-entry fee of £5 gives you access to all five gardens – Children get
free entry. There are home-made teas and plants for sale. One of the
gardens was a winner in last year’s Botley in Bloom competition. The
gardens are:
86 Hurst Rise Road 6 Scholar Place 23 Hids Copse Road
10 Eynsham Road (Teas and plant sales) and 3 Halliday Lane (2022 BiB
winner, plant sales.)
Look out for the yellow signs on the day. Maps available at the first garden
you visit. Refreshments & plant sales at 10 Eynsham Road are in aid of
Flexicare. All other money from entry tickets and plant sales goes to the
National Garden Scheme which in 2022 donated £3,110,000 to
beneficiaries, providing critical support to nursing and health charities
including Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support, Hospice UK, Queens
Nursing Institute, Carers Trust and Parkinson’s UK.
You can access detailed information at about these gardens at:
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/42601/west-oxford-gardens
More information about the National Garden Scheme in Oxfordshire can
be found here: https://linktr.ee/ngs_oxfordshire John Fleming
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details
to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Baby & Toddler Group
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Books on Wheels R.V.S.
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Botley Community Larder
Botley and Kennington
Patients Participation Group
Botley Health Walks
Botley Library
Botley Memory Lane Café
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Botley Youth Club
Cumnor Choral Society
Cumnor Chess Club
Cumnor & District
Historical Society
Cumnor Gardening Club
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Hill End Volunteer Team
Lawn Tennis Club
West Oxford Singing Circle
Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare clubs
N Hinksey Art Group
Weds 10–12.00 W.I. Hall Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers
Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunteers
Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr
07798743121 voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of
Annual Cricket Match/ Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council
clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
Oxford Flood Alliance
R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging
Club
4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: Ox 865259
Oxford Harmony
Wednesdays 7.30 – 9.30 pm at Seacourt Hall
Contact pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays,
twice monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Raleigh Park, Friends of
Email: raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk
Seacourt Hall Management
Committee
Contact Lottie White, 07452 960100, or see
https://www.seacourthall.org.uk
Shotokan Karate Club
6+ WOCC twice weekly
Martyn King 07836 646450
Stagecoach Botley
West Oxford Bowls Club
Dave Ellerker 07931 603801
wobc.membership@gmail.com
West Oxford Taekwon Do
Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall
01865 570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A
(Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
Women’s Institute (Botley)
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Banso tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
Botley Baptist Church,
I Church Way
Contact: Building Manager 07742
662668 botleybaptist@gmail.com
The Rosary Room
Yarnells Hill, Elms Rise
Contact: Maria Brown,
Tel: 01865 247986.
SS Peter & Paul Church
Hall, West Way, Botley
Contact: 01865 242057 or
osneybenefice@outlook.com.
Women's Institute Hall,
North Hinksey Lane
Contact: Val Warner
Tel. 01865 245273
Seacourt Hall,
3 Church Way
Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,
or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk
Pavilion, Arnold’s Way,
Elms Rise, Botley
Contact: Darren Blase 241254
louiememorialpavilion@gmail.com
Oxford Rugby Club,
North Hinksey Village
Contact: Mary Bagnall
mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.
North Hinksey & Botley Churches
Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts
St. Lawrence, Church of England, North Hinksey Lane
1st, 2nd, 4
th
, 5
th
Sunday 11.30am Holy Communion
3rd Sunday 11.30am Matins
St. Peter and St. Paul, Church of England, West Way
Sundays 9.30am Holy Communion
Wednesdays 10.30am Holy Communion in Chapel of Holy Spirit
1st Saturday each month, 4–5.30pm Messy Church for children and carers
Rev Clare Sykes, Tel. 01865 242345 or r ev c l ar e@b tin t e r n et.co m
See table above for Church Hall enquiries.
Our Lady of the Rosary, Roman Catholic , Yarnells Hill
Saturday 6.30pm Mass
Sunday 9.15am Mass
Fr Daniel Lloyd 07584 323915 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
Botley Baptist Church, 1 Church Way
Sunday Service 11 am
Wednesday Zoom Bible St udy 7.30pm
Choir practice Thursday 2pm
Diane Melchert 07742 662668 www.botleybaptistchurch.org
Calvary Chapel
Sunday services on 1st Floor, 1 Church Way at 9.30am with
crèche, children’s Sunday school and youth group
Pastor Steve Vickery 01865 586332
contact@ccox.church website: www.ccoxford.church
What’s On
June
Thur 1st 12.30, Seacourt Hall, Seniors Lunch Club (£5)
Mon 5th 7pm, Seacourt Hall, Annual Public Meeting of the
Seacourt Hall management trust
Sat 10th 11-4, Hill End Camp, ffennell Festival, booking
essential
Sun 11th 2.00pm-5.00pm West Oxford Gardens open under
the National Garden Scheme (see inside)
Mon 12th 2.30pm, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk:
Richard O. Smith, The Oxford Alphabet, Z to A pt 1
Thur 15th 12.30, Seacourt Hall, Seniors Lunch Club (£5)
Thur 15th 7.30, Seacourt Hall, Parish Council meeting
Sun 18th 12 noon and then 3pm, Tap Social Movement,
Curtis’s Yard, Big Fish Little Fish, Father’s Day
events for 1-8 year olds
Mon 26th 2.30pm, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk:
Eugene Matthias, The Ugly Duckling and the Magic
Wand
Thur 29th 12.30, Seacourt Hall, Seniors Lunch Club (£5)
Through the week, plenty of different activities in the Library